A Different Kind of Catwoman
by Hyper-Nexus
Summary: To avenge the death of his parents, Bruce became the Batman and swore to protect Gotham. He never expected a sword wielding Demon cat girl swearing to protect him, nor did he expect that the Waynes had a secret legacy in Japan. Rated M to be safe.
1. Prologue

**AN: Don't worry, I'm still working on my other stories. This is just something to bide time because this idea just wouldn't leave me alone ;)**

**Batman and all related characters are owned by DC Entertainment. Batman is created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Omamori Himari is created by Milan Matra.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 0****1****: ****Prologue**

"An Oma-what?" asked a puzzled young boy.

Thomas couldn't stop himself from chuckling and his wife Martha followed suit. Their son didn't pay them any heed and instead, with innocent confusion, looked at the thing his father held out for him.

It was rectangular shaped with the upper edges folded, enclosed in a red cloth with a flower print and tied with a tassel knot by a thin long red rope.

"An Omamori, Bruce." Thomas explained, stressing on each syllable. "It's an amulet imbued with spiritual energy that provides protection."

"Like a lucky rabbit's foot?" Bruce asked warily.

Thomas understood Bruce's hesitancy, the boy always had a thing for animals...except maybe for a certain flying kind.

"Pretty much but don't worry, there's no bunny body parts involved." he assured jokingly. "You can find these anywhere in Japan but your mother and I had this specifically made for you."

Bruce suddenly deflated at this point and gazed downwards with a morose expression.

"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Martha with concern.

"It's just that..."

The young boy's voice softly trailed off as he lost his nerve to speak. It was only for a moment before he then clinched his fists to summon whatever will he could to express himself and looked up towards his mother.

"You and Dad keep traveling there and back but you never take me along! Why?"

There was a tense sideways glance shared between his two parents before his father sighed and spoke up.

"It's only for business, Bruce. Our work there is so tedious that there isn't time for anything else. Believe me, you'll find yourself very bored if we brought you along."

Bruce furrowed his brow and pouted in skepticism.

"Son..." Thomas said while keeping a hand on his shoulder. "I know your mother and I aren't around all the time. Though Alfred has done a bang-up job taking care of you, it doesn't excuse us for not being more involved in your life. That's why tonight is special, why this Omamori is special. I want you to promise us that you'll wear it and think of us. Do that and we'll be with you, no matter how far apart we are."

Bruce looked at his father like he had grown a second head. __"How was that even possible?" __he wondered. __"How can they 'be with me' when they're so far away?"__. Regardless, he quietly considered before replying.

"Fine. But on one condition!"

Thomas rolled his eyes, expecting a huge list of demands.

"Hoo boy, what is it?"

But what Bruce asked wasn't what either of his parents expected.

"I want Mom to wear that necklace she showed me earlier."

Bruce's mother blinked in surprise.

"My mother's pearls? Why?" she asked.

Bruce shrugged like it was such an obvious thing.

"I dunno, cuz you look pretty in them?"

Martha couldn't help but blush in delight, with a palm to her cheek and her eyes starry.

"Awwww, that's so sweet!" Martha squealed.

She then bent down and pulled on Bruce's cheek playfully.

"So young and you already know how to sweet talk the ladies. Keep that up and soon you'll need to beat them off with a stick."

Bruce's cheeks grew rosy with embarrassment and tried to pull away from her.

"M-mom! Cut it out! Why would I need to beat anyone with a stick!? You told me violence doesn't solve anything!"

That earned a hearty laugh from both his parents, much to his bewilderment.

"Anyway, it's a deal." Martha said with a beaming smile.

And so Bruce hung the strange amulet around his neck while Martha fetched her pearls. Taking the envelope shaped thing in his hands, he stared at it. It brought about a strange feeling within him but it was a familiar one, one that he thinks he may have felt before. Like it was from a past life.

"Well? How does it feel?" asked Martha, her collar now gleaming with the adorned pearls.

Bruce hastily pushed the charm into his collar to keep it out of view.

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. Now c'mon already! Or we'll be late for the movie!"

The eight year old boy raced out of the mansion while his two parents followed him. Tonight was indeed a special night. A night for family. A night where two loving parents can finally spend time with their son.

It would be also be the last night for Thomas and Martha Wayne, and a dark beginning for Bruce.

* * *

**Thirteen years later.**

"It's the Bat!" one of the armed men called out before opening fire.

Hails of bullets chased after a certain dark shape that moved with surprising agility, bounding from one shipping crate to the next before launching itself over the armed thugs.

The limited light illuminated the shape as it landed. It was someone the thugs, as well as the rest of Gotham's underworld, were well aware of. Recognizable from the dark long eared cowl, scalloped cape and glowing white eyes, he was Gotham's Dark Knight: the Batman.

Batman quickly engaged the gunman closest to him and disarmed him by grabbing the rifle's muzzle and elbowing him hard in the face and the yanking off the weapon and clubbed him. From there he knocked out another gunman with a spinning kick and then took care of a thug with a shotgun with a leg sweep followed by strike to his jaw.

To his left, another thug pulled out a knife and slashed at him but it was vain because Batman was able to dodge every slash and then nonchalantly grab the thug's wrist as he tried to slash overhead. Frightened on the spot, the thug tried desperately to yank his arm away but Batman's grip was like a vice and very easily pulled him forward and knocked him out with a punch.

Two other thugs joined the fray but while the Dark Knight was preoccupied with them, one of the felons who was previously knocked out arose from unconscious. He was disoriented and from his blurred vision, he could make out the Caped Crusader knocking out another of his comrades and was now paying attention to the last one standing. He then noticed the dropped Shotgun next to one of his downed partners and reached out to grab it.

Batman's last opponent finally went down with a haymaker and joined the rest of the goons who were sprawled on the ground like ragdolls. He took a short moment to breathe and felt satisfaction from stopping another operation from the remnants of the Falcone Family. Their empire had been fractured and they've been growing more and more desperate to reclaim their former glory. This set back would surely add to their frustrations but he knew that it was another step towards their inevitable dissolution, it was only a matter of time now.

But he didn't get a chance to revel in his victory because suddenly, the distinct sound of pump action re-chambering made him spin around in alert. Right in front of him was the recovered felon who had the muzzle of the shotgun pointed mere inches from his head.

His face was unfortunately the least protected of his suit and at that moment, it looked like the criminal was going to pull the trigger but for some reason, he instead lowered the muzzle towards his torso and opened fire. The blast sent the Cape Crusader flying back but neither of them would know the significance of this moment nor the chain of events that were set off.

* * *

Far away, beyond the trees, within the dark abyss stirred multiple entities. Their eyes opened and their bodies writhed with agitation.

"I sense him..." one of them hissed.

"The son of the Gaijin Demon Slayers." said another.

And more inhuman voices followed.

"The last of the Amakawa."

"The hated one"

One by one, they chanted the name of this hated one...

"Wayne." "Wayne." "Wayne."

...Before releasing a vengeful wailed in unison.

"Waaaaaaaayyyyyyyynnnnnneeeeeeee!"

* * *

Inside a large mansion in England was seated a young woman reading a book.

With her fair complexion and large breasts, one would say she could turn the heads of most males wherever she went. But her most striking features were her long silver hair and a crescent mark with its 'horns' pointing upwards on her forehead. Another noticeable thing about her were her choice of attire that could be described as 'Gothic Lolita'; black with frills and ribbons along with a corset that reinforced her figure.

The book she was reading looked old and its pages were filled with unrecognizable glyphs and fonts. But then she suddenly closed it as a strange sensation overtook her.

She put her book aside as she looked curiously towards the window before getting up her seat and approaching it.

She peered out of the glass as if something was calling out to her.

"That feeling." she murmured.

* * *

Standing in the rippling shallows of the riverside water was another attractive young woman. She had a heart shaped face with long dark blueish hair and violet eyes.

All she wore was a white kimono that was wet and clung to her voluptuous body and was translucent enough to reveal some of her flesh.

In her hands was clutched a tachi sword housed in a thick scabbard. She too could feel that strange sensation, it was a signal she had been waiting for long time to receive.

"It's time." she said.

She unsheathe her sword slightly from the scabbard, the clear blade reflecting one of her violet eyes.

"I shall finally fulfill my pledge."

* * *

The shotgun-weilding thug's eyes widened. He had shot the Dark Knight square in chest and sent him flying back, yet he didn't fall. Batman managed to keep his feet on the ground but was hunched over in pain, the fabric in his chest area where his emblem was had been completely ripped to shreds and what it revealed was that underneath was a kind of kevlar padding, smoke trailing from the blast it absorbed.

With shadows smeared on his face except for the narrow white eyes and teeth that were grit dangerously, Batman's terrifying visage was enough to momentarily freeze the thug on the spot.

Just when the thug was about to recover and fire again, his leg was quickly caught in a fired grappling line and he screamed as he was ferociously dragged towards Batman before being knocked out with a savage punch to his jaw.

* * *

The vast underground cavern looked like a clash between the Primeval and Technology, rocky stalagmites married with cool metal. Overhead, hung many of the cave smaller residents; their slumber was disturbed by the approaching sounds of turbine engines.

The bats screeched and fluttered around as a black armored vehicle zoomed over the internal bridge before slowing down to a halt over a circular platform. Batman jumped out after the Batmobile's canopy slid open but stumbled a little with a grunt as he landed, his torso feeling like it was set on fire.

"Long night, Master Wayne?"

The voice, dignified and laden with a British accent, came a distance away from the platform and Batman looked to see an elderly gentleman with a pencil thin mustache wearing a dapper suit.

"Got shot point-blank with a shotgun, Alfred." Batman said with a painful grimace.

"Indeed, sir." Alfred stated nonchalantly while noticing the damage on his suit.

Two years had already past since the butler's young master began his crusade and while Alfred was definitely worried for him, he was at a point where he'd come to expect him returning with some grievous injury or other. This was actually nothing for either of them.

Batman straighten himself and walked towards the work area with Alfred loyally trailing behind him, listening as the Dark Knight continued to speak.

"At least we now know that the under-armor can take it. Still hurts like a mother, though. I'm thinking we could improve the suit's performance by having it interwoven along with reinforced HMPE plates. Might have to run that with Lucius later."

"Hm, quite." Alfred concurred and then gestured towards the medical table. "In meantime, let me examine you. The least I could do is make sure you are fully operational for the next time you decide to use yourself as a test dummy."

With a nod, Batman finally pulls back his cowl to reveal a handsome face with dark blue eyes and messy hair. He was Bruce Wayne, twenty one years of age, considered the Prince of Gotham for his looks and wealth. Bruce seated himself on the medical and took off his gauntlets while Alfred detached his cape.

"It was strange, actually." Bruce mused. "He had the gun trained at my head but aimed for my chest instead. I had hypothesized that symbols can influence the criminal mind, perhaps it was the emblem that drew his fire."

When the torso portion of the suit was removed, Alfred could see that Bruce's chest area sported a few dark red splotches and some of the pellets actually made through and broke his skin around the neck, shoulder and chin. But also over his chest hung a certain amulet with red cloth and flower printing, it dangled freely and one could almost hear a ghostly chime as if it was a Furin wind bell.

"Or it was an act of good fortune, perhaps?" asked Alfred with a knowing wry smile.

Bruce glance at the Omamori and then scowled at Alfred with annoyance.

"You know I don't believe in that nonsense. The only reason I've been wearing this is because it was the last thing my parents left me."

After saying this, Bruce let out a pained hiss as Alfred pressed an ice pack around the bruised area, a little too hard for his liking.

"Of course, sir." Alfred responded in dismissal.

The elderly man always felt that despite Bruce's denial, the Omamori was subtlety influential in Bruce's knack for surviving the impossible. All those times when his master was on the verge of death and barely escaping with his life, it happened so often that one would wonder if Bruce was actually being protected by some otherworldly force.

By the time the butler was done with his examination, he fortunately concluded that there were no damage to the ribs but nevertheless dressed up the bruises in case there were further hemorrhaging.

"Injuries are superficial." he stated as he picked up the first aid kid. "Though I'd recommend keeping weight off your front for a good while. So next time you're entertaining one of your party favors, don't do anything too, um,...strenuous."

Bruce rolled his eyes. Alfred was of course referring to his lifestyle as a playboy. The thing was that it wasn't really his lifestyle, just a facade he fabricated to keep suspicion off him; a public image he had to preserve. Truth be told, he hardly slept with anyone and even Alfred once commented that Bruce spent the majority of his free time as a lonely clandestine monk.

That sentiment reemerged when Alfred halted from leaving and spoke in an exasperated tone.

"And on a woefully unrelated subject, Miss Vale called. Kindly spare a word or two for the poor girl, unlike the others she clearly gives a damn about you. And it's obvious that you find her as quite charming company; Lord's sake, this manor could use one or two of those."

But when Bruce didn't respond, Alfred turned to see that the young billionaire was preoccupied, holding the Omamori in his hands and glaring at it intensely.

Alfred sighed sadly, he knew that Bruce had a complicated relationship with the Omamori. Although Bruce kept wearing it, there was nothing but hatred in his eyes every time he looked at the thing.

"That's weird." Bruce suddenly said.

"What is?"

"Usually when I hold it, I get this...tense feeling. But now I feel nothing."

Bruce pressed his thumb against it and he could feel that the wooden plaque inside had been completely fragmented.

"I think it's broken. The force of the shotgun blast must've shattered it."

There was a sudden thud on the floor followed but clattering sounds. Bruce spun towards Alfred to see that the older man had dropped the First aid kit and his expression was as if he had seen a ghost.

"Alfred, what wrong!?" Bruce jumped from the table and went to him in alarm.

Alfred blinked and snapped out of it.

"Oh, n-n-nothing, Master Wayne. My hand must've slipped, beg pardon for my clumsiness."

He bent down and began to gather the thing that fell from the first aid kit. Bruce bent down as well to help him while giving him a curious look. He wondered what had gotten into his loyal butler, Alfred has NEVER been clumsy before.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Bruce asked.

The elderly British nodded.

"Quite alright. Perhaps I'm a little tired."

And just like that, Alfred's usual demeanor returned like nothing had happened. With the fallen items back in the First aid kit, he straightened up and cleared his throat.

"If that'll be all, I'll retire for the night. You should as well. After all: Bruce Wayne, world's youngest CEO, has busy schedule tomorrow."

With those words, he left the cave while Bruce looked on in confusion. As Alfred walked through the Manor's corridor, he sweated nervously as his mind was wild with thoughts.

So it finally happened, the Omamori had lost its power. That meant that the young master's life was in danger...well, not that he wasn't already putting his life in danger but this was much different. Alfred knew that he was going to have to explain to him who Thomas and Martha Wayne really were. But could he? As a boy, Bruce was so broken after his parents were murdered that Alfred kept that world away from him fearing what it might do to him.

Bruce's life was complicated enough with being Batman and it was only a matter of time before it became even more complicated. Alfred let out a tired sigh and uttered the only thing he could.

"Oh dear."

**TBC**


	2. Uninvited Guests

**CHAPTER 02: Uninvited Guests **

It was yet another night in Gotham. And for the wealthy elite, it was yet another swanky soirée hosted in one of the ritzy hotels that dotted the Fashion District. The event this time was a charity fundraiser with proceeds going directly to provide much needed education and healthcare to Gotham's poor neighborhoods.

Among those in attendance was Vicki Vale who clapped soundly along with the others just as Bruce Wayne finished his speech, not only thanking everyone for their support but announcing his own plans to provide jobs and a stable income to the families of those neighborhoods.

Vicki was a columnist at the Gotham Gazette, she knew that most the attendees didn't give a damn about charity; for them, fundraisers were just an obligatory excuse to signal their 'virtue' while engaging in their own personal vices. Bruce was lucky to have her as a friend, she could've wrote the same thing about him but she knew that he legitimately cared about making Gotham a better place.

"Bruce, over here!" she hailed him over.

He looked towards her and waved back with that billionaire-smile he was known for. When he approached her, she noticed that he had someone accompanying him; she was a Eurasian-looking young woman with a blonde bob in a sparkling black dress. Vicki guessed she was a supermodel and one of Bruce's 'flavor-of-the-week arm candies'.

"That was a great speech." Vicki complimented when he neared her. "First funding the digitizing of the Gazzette and now this? You really are living up to your title as the Prince of Gotham."

Her intention was to converse with him casually but to her disappointment, his response seemed more on the record than off.

"Thanks Vicki but I wouldn't pat my back just yet. Projects like this need cooperation and people willing to be helped, which is hard to come by in Gotham. Some people don't seem to realize that just throwing money at the city's problems isn't going to solve them. They think I don't do enough."

Vicki knew whom he was talking about. It was a pretty known fact that despite his good looks and celebrity status, 'Gotham's favorite son' wasn't everyone's favorite. But Bruce did have a sordid reputation of being a playboy so it was understandable.

"Now there's a quote!" she said sounding upbeat. "Don't mind them, Bruce. To them, you're just an easy target. By the way, I hope I'm not boring your plus-one over there."

Bruce blinked and looked over to his companion, realizing he didn't introduce her yet. The girl in question seemed more interested in taking selfies and Instagram than she was of the party...or him for that matter. Bruce figured that she probably just wanted to be part of the 'I dated Bruce Wayne Club' and honestly, that was fine with him.

"Oh. Um, Vicki, my date: Heidi Fichtelmann. Heidi, this is Vicki Vale." Bruce said gesturing between the two.

"Hullo." the blonde murmured, barely glancing from her phone.

"Err...charmed." Vicky sniped in annoyance and then brought her attention back to Bruce with a smile.

"Wait till you meet my date."

"You brought one?" Bruce asked.

Vicki nodded and pointed towards a small gathering in the crowd.

"Uh huh, he's over there."

The man in question was literally at the center of the gathering and not hard to miss. He was the definition of a heart-throb; young, boyish looks, blue eyes, brown wavy hair. Everyone around him had their attention on him and laughed as he spoke cheerfully. Bruce let out a long whistle in awe, there weren't many who didn't recognized him.

"Basil Karlo. I'm impressed! I hear scoring a date with him is like striking oil in your backyard."

"Oh Bruce, when are you going to stop underestimating the power of access media?" Vicki said with a wink. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

Basil Karlo was currently one of Hollywood's popular leading men with several blockbusters under his belt. After the success of his last movie, the young actor now has plans to write, direct and star in his own movie later this year.

"It's an honor, Bruce!" Basil greeted as he shook Bruce's hand enthusiastically. It seemed he decided that they would start off on first name basis.

"Y'know I used to believe what they say about you on Twitter, about how you're gonna waste away the Wayne fortune and bankrupt the city? But after tonight, I can safely say that you and Gotham have a bright future ahead."

Bruce smiled a little nervously as he shook the man's hand. He had a feeling that Basil was a straight forward kind of guy without much of a conversation-filter.

"Appreciate the sentiment, Basil. I could say the same thing about you, I hear you're a shoo-in for the Oscars this year."

"Really? Have you seen my latest work?"

At that point Bruce's expression sunk to a downcast state.

"I'm...I'm not much of a movie person."

Basil's expression also dropped and he gave Bruce a sympathetic look.

"Oh right, that night at the Monarch Theater. Sorry if I opened old wounds."

The death of Bruce's parents was hardly a secret in Gotham. In fact, Vicki highlighted the fact when she interviewed him after he took over his company. Some theorized that Bruce's extravagant pompous lifestyle was how he dealt with grief. A short awkward silence fell between Bruce, Basil and Vicki before Basil abruptly broke it.

"But hey, there's always Blu Ray! Y'know Bruce, you should seriously consider acting."

Basil said this as he positioned his hands to make a 'frame' and lined them up over Bruce's face.

"You're young and you've got such a photogenic face. Kind of a Teenage Sparkly Vampire vibe going on. I could someone like you in my project."

"Teenage Sparkly Vampire?*" asked Bruce while raising a brow in confusion.

"Yeah, Y'know? Sensitive, moody yet sexy enough for the angsty underage girls? That kinda thing. Then again, you'd probably be too busy. Being a CEO and all."

From Basil's viewpoint, the 'finger frame' panned over to Heidi who still hasn't broken away from her Instagram.

"However there is another role I have in mind which I think Heidi would be perfect for!"

This made the model glance from her phone and seeing who was speaking to her was enough to completely grab her attention and make her rejoin the world of the living.

"Kyaa! You-You're Basil Karlo! Wow! I'm a huuuge fan!" she exclaimed like a fangirl.

Vicki palmed her face, unable to believe that the girl didn't notice he was in front of her until now. Basil meanwhile flashed his pearly whites, putting his charms to maximum effect.

"And I...am a huge fan of YOUR work, Heidi." he said smoothly. "Especially your cover shot of last month's DECO magazine."

Heidi giggled and visibly blushed with her star-struck gaze, this was definitely the most animated behavior Vicki had seen from the girl so far.

"Tell me, have you thought of acting?" Basil asked.

"I-I-I don't know. I never thought about it." Heidi said bashfully.

Of course, Vicki figured she most likely did. It was doubtful that a model like her didn't aspire to go into showbiz at least once and right now she was probably just being full of it. Taking Heidi's words as a cue, Basil grinned, strode up to her and offered his arm to her. Bruce only looked on with mild surprise.

"Well, why don't we order a few drinks and think about it?" Basil invited.

The blonde model was only too happy to oblige and linked her arm with his. Bruce and Vicki looked on as the two strolled away before looking at each other in disbelief. Slowly, a smile came to both their lips before they started chuckling at the situation.

"I'll say this much, your date certainly moves fast." Bruce laughed.

"Well, Basil's actually a nice guy. He's just high on his success right now. Sadly, I can't say the same about whats-her-face. Where do you find these girls anyway? Do you get them on mail order or something?"

Bruce simply shrugged.

Vicki glanced downwards while tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear as she smiled bashfully.

"You know you could do much better than her, right?" she asked softly.

"Maybe I should check who's on cover of THIS month's DECO magazine." Bruce joked.

But she looked at him without any humor.

"I'm talking about someone who actually cares about you, Bruce. No super models, Photo ops or PR stunts. Something...actually serious."

"Vicki..." Bruce began. "You know that everything I do is a PR stunt."

"That's only because it's all you show to the world. They need to know the REAL of you. Not some spoiled rich kid, but someone who cares about the Wayne legacy and wants to improve Gotham. They need to know you...like how I do."

She whispered the last bit as a slight blush covered her cheeks.

Bruce internally sighed. He was well aware that Vicki seemed to carry something of a torch for him and honestly, he felt that it could be mutual. But the problem was that the 'Real him' isn't who she thinks he is. Such a prospective between them would be too dangerous, for both of them.

"Let me do another interview with you sometime next week." she suggested. "It'll be a good way to show everyone how serious you are. And...maybe later, we could..."

Before she could say anything more her phone began to ring and when she checked the caller ID, she let out an irritated breath.

"Great, my editor. This could take a while." she said, flashing him an apologetic look before promptly leaving.

He casually slipped his hands in his pockets and looked around without much emotion. It appeared that Bruce Wayne, Playboy and life of the party, was left by himself.

* * *

It would seem that Basil and Heidi weren't the only ones who hit it off. On the rooftop of the building, the door leading to the outdoor lounge area swung open and a young man with a woman stumbled outside; hanging on each other, giggling, laughing and clearly intoxicated.

They both shuffled forward and slowed to a halt when they came upon a swimming pool. There was no one around and most of the lights in the area was off save for the LED lights in the pool, giving an enticing teal glow below the moonlit sly. The man's lips stretched into toothy smile as an idea formed.

"Hey, you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" he asked his companion.

She giggled at the thought.

"But I didn't bring a swimsuit."

"Who said anything about a swimsuit?" he whispered huskily.

She immediately got the idea and her expression shifted to mock shock and amusement as she playfully slapped his shoulder.

"Frank! That's crazy! What if someone sees us!?" she admonished.

"They won't. They're too busy being boozed outta their mind downstairs to notice." He moved his lips closer to her ear and purred. "C'mon Julia, where's your sense of adventure?"

Apparently, Julia's sense of adventure was intact as it didn't take long for them to shed their clothes and jump in the inviting water. They waded, bobbed and splashed on each other until Frank finally had Julia pinned against the wall of the pool and her lips caught by his. She responded by wrapping her arms and legs around him as the two moaned and made out.

It was after Julia's eyes fluttered open when she caught sight of something sitting at edge of the pool behind Frank, something that wasn't there before.

She pushed away shrieked in fright which caused Frank to spin around in startlement, thinking that they were caught by someone or even something worse. But after seeing what it was, his shoulder sagged and let out a relieved breath.

"Jeezus! It's just a cat!" he panted.

It was. A snow white cat with fur that almost glowed from the moonlight that gazed at them uninterestingly with purple eyes.

"How did it get all the way up here?" Julia wondered. "And what's with its eyes? It's purple. So creepy..."

"Who cares. Now where were we?" said Frank as he turned and closed the distance to her.

But Julia pushed back in protest.

"But it's looking at us!"

"So? Let it look. We'll give it a good show."

Frank moved in and pressed his lips against hers, resulting in her wrapping her arms around his neck and the two resumed where they left off.

The white cat continued to look with an annoyed expression but then it shifted its gaze towards where the couple left their clothes, particularly the woman's clothes.

* * *

Various party guests began gawk to whisper among themselves as they moved out of the way for someone who just strolled through the entrance. This person didn't pay any attention to them nor the slight commotion behind her, she just walked ahead and navigated through the crowd until she reached her target.

The man in question had his back towards her, hands in his pockets and his mind seemed elsewhere.

"Bruce Wayne?"

Bruce turned towards the voice and his body as well as his breath froze.

Before him stood a young Japanese woman of average height with long luscious midnight hair that had bangs over and at the sides of her head, the rest of it tied into a ponytail with a pink bow. The ensemble that she wore looked typical for a party wear but there was something off about it: the ankle strap shoes at her feet look like they were hastily worn and the burgundy dress was struggling to contain her bust. She definitely stood out from the crowd but what really got his attention were her violet eyes.

She just stood there and stared at him waiting for a response but all he did was stare back with saucer wide eyes, seconds felt like minutes for him and everything but her seemed to fade.

The moment was broken when a voice called out from behind her, it was the security guard who was posted by the doorway.

"There you are! Ma'am, you can't be here!"

The girl narrowed her eyes dangerously and let out a small growl as the guard approached her, she didn't bother turning around. Bruce assumed that she must've gotten past him somehow.

"I told you already, this is a private event." the guard said with authority as he was about to grab her arm. "I'm going to have to ask you leave..."

But then, to both the guard and the girl's surprise, a certain someone slid in between the two and acted as a shield for her.

"She's with me." said Bruce.

The guard was flabbergasted that the renowned billionaire himself was coming to her defense but nevertheless, tried to argue his case.

"But Mister Wayne, she doesn't have an invite!"

"Well, I'm now inviting her!" Bruce sternly asserted and then grabbed her right hand with his left. "In fact, I had just asked her for a dance."

The girl's violet eyes widened as she was pulled away from the scene, leaving a bewildered security guard who was at a loss for words. She was tugged all the way towards the open area where couples were already waltzing to soft classical music. When they got there, Bruce pulled her close while settled his other hand on her shoulder blade.

"Wha-What are you doing!?" she exclaimed as a slight blush covered her cheeks.

"I'm dancing with you." Bruce said simply.

"This is a dance?"

She honestly looked confused. The truth was that she had never waltzed ever in her life, the only experience she has of dancing was only folk dances during Obon. Bruce picked up on this and chuckled.

"It's a western-style dance." he explained. "It's easy, I'll show you."

He urged her to place her other hand on his shoulder and then began to guide her through the basic steps. Her movements were pretty awkward and she more than once stepped on his feet, earning a wince from him and the looks from some of the other dancers. She felt so uncomfortable that she wanted to pull away but Bruce held her in place.

"Don't worry about it." he said with an assuring smile. "Just keep your eyes on me and follow my lead."

Her eyes, still wide with nervousness, locked with his like she was trying find if he was being truthful and then she nodded. This time she did much better than before with her steps and soon she began to naturally sway with him. Bruce noticed that she was pretty light on her feet compared to the other girls he danced with. Eventually they both settled into a steady flow, her body relaxed and her expression softened.

From the other side of the room, Vicki returned after the long talk with her editor and then spotted Bruce on the dance floor and in particular, the woman he was with. The reporter crossed her arms and looked on with a slight frown.

Meanwhile, Bruce finally took this moment as an opportunity to question his dance partner.

"You're Japanese, right? Is this you're first time in America?"

She nodded.

"Hai. I mean, Yes. I'm...I'm not used to this country or big city life."

While her speech had a slight accent, Bruce had noted that it was a little different than the usual accents he had heard before. What she said confirmed his suspicion that she probably has a rural background. It gave a quality to her voice which when compounded with her pleasant face and mannerisms, just overall made her seem so...so...cute!

"I think you're doing just fine and your English is pretty good too." he complimented. "But I am curious to know what you're doing so far away from home, Miss...?"

She didn't seem to catch his cue and tilted her head and looked at him curiously, Bruce personally thought the action made her look adorable.

"Your name. What's your name?" he urged.

At this point, her demeanor seemed to shift; there was an odd twinkle in her eye and her lips curled into a smile that bordered on sinister.

"Himari." she said.

Bruce waited for a few seconds but that was all she said, no family name or anything else.

"Himari." he echoed with an amused smile.

For a while there was nothing said between them as they both swept across the dance area. What started with Himari being uncomfortable with waltzing now resulted in her enjoying herself...maybe a little too much, Bruce noted that she was beginning to take control of their dance with confidence as her smile grew more and more domineering. And then there was her eyes...

Now that he was locked with her gaze, he begun to understand why those violet orbs grabbed his attention; they were like a predator's eyes and it looked to him like he was a trapped mouse.

Feeling unnerved, Bruce cleared his throat and tried to get back to the matter at hand.

"You didn't answer my question, Miss Himari."

"What question is that?" she asked coyly.

Bruce frowned that she was sidestepping. He then took a breath and asked again.

"Why did you come here?"

Himari only responded with a playful hum before suddenly closing the distance and pressing herself firmly against him with her face against the side of his neck. Bruce's breath was caught in his throat and his body went rigid. Not only could he feel her huge bosoms squished against his torso but noticed the unmistakable small protrusion on the tip of each breast.

It made him aware that she wasn't even wearing a bra. Very awkwardly aware.

"My apologies." She breathed on his neck. "It's been a long journey and I'm too tired to give any answers."

As she moved her lips closer to his ear, he could hear light purring emitting from her throat.

"But I will say, I'm pleased to see that you've grown to such a handsome gentleman."

Bruce blinked in confusion.

"Have we...met before?" he asked.

"Something like that." Himari snickered.

And in a move that sent shock waves through his body, Himari dragged a wet tongue over his ear. Bruce's movements ceased and my mind had difficulty processing his situation. He admitted to himself, not many women had this kind of effect on him.

"Errm..." he uttered out, not knowing what to say.

There was nothing else he could say at that moment because right then, their attention was grabbed by a gunshot which killed the music, followed by a scream and a commotion at the center of the party where almost all the party goers had their legs anchored to ground by a goopy substance resembling bee wax.

The goop was shot from a large gun held by an individual who wore a lime face-covering helmet that had antennas and eye lenses, purple tights with orange and green striped leggings separated by a yellow belt and an orange cape resembling insect wings.

"NOBODY MOVE!" he yelled and he hoisted the gun up. "This is a sticky-up!"

Another costumed person came up next to him, this one was wearing a full white bodysuit that was adorned with large colorful spots, his head and neck are covered and over his eyes was a red visor with circular lenses.

"Really Moth? We're doing puns now?" he commented.

From behind him jumped out another who wore a black bodysuit with a cowl/mask that had salt and pepper shakers strapped to the sides of his head. On his chest was a gold crown emblem and at his waist was a belt outfitted with containers that had tubes connected to the pair of guns he held.

"What's the big DILL, Abner? This is a night we're certainly going to RELISH!" he cackled, emphasizing his cringey wordplay.

Bruce and Himari looked on with bewilderment until Bruce's brows fell into a straight line and his expression morphed into a look of exasperation.

"You've got to be kidding me." Bruce let out a tired groan.

The last of the costumed villains stepped next to the black-suited one. He was dressed in a green outfit with a gold belt and a diamond-like gold emblem on his chest, he also wore a green helmet which had a gold tinted visor and the same emblem embossed above it. He seemed to be the one leading the group and unlike his three companions, he held a real gun.

"Mitchell, seriously, SHUT UP!" he yelled while smacking him upside the head.

He then began to address their new hostages.

"As for all you rich schmucks, here's how things are gonna work: me and my buddies are gonna come to each of you with a bag and you're gonna dump your valuables in 'em. I want your cash, your watches, your jewelry and your iPhones! No Samsungs! I don't trust those exploding shits!"

Bruce had dealt with these four before. They are Arkham escapees but unlike the rest of his 'Rogues Gallery', they are considered misfits and nuisances; the very bottom tier of Gotham's criminal underworld. His mind had already profiled them.

Chuck Brown aka Kite-man. Drury Walker aka Killer Moth. Abner Krill aka Mister Polka-Dot. Mitchell Mayo aka The Condiment King...Yes, that's what he calls himself.

"Excuse me." Bruce and Himari said together as they separated and went in different directions.

Himari paused in her tracks and looked back to find Bruce but he had completely vanished in the crowd. It seemed that despite Killer Moth sealing all the exits with his Cocoon gun, Bruce found a way to sneak out unnoticed. Before she could wonder about it, she let a gasp as something suddenly caught her attention!

She spun and looked at the hall's upper wall but didn't see anything. Her eyes constricted in suspicion as she turned away and returned her attention to the costumed criminals.

On that wall was perched a giant insect like creature, light shimmering against its invisible field.

* * *

"Penny One, I'm going to need a change of attire."

Bruce requested via a Comm-link as he hurried up the stairwell towards the roof.

__"Copy that. The Bat-drone has already been deployed and I've marked a Drop zone at your location. Is there trouble afoot, Master Wayne?" __Alfred responded back promptly.

"Nothing I can't handle. This shouldn't take long."

Just as he was about to open the door to the outside Lounge, it swung open and on the other side was an embarrassed Frank and Julia. Julia in particular was blushing beet red and only had a white towel over her naked body.

Bruce froze for a moment and let out a small tired sigh, deciding that he didn't want to know anything further.

"Party's over. Use the emergency stairway and take her home." he instructed.

Frank nodded sheepishly and the couple quickly rushed past him.

After walking outside, Bruce stood in the middle of the rooftop lounge. He waited for a short while and right on cue, a flying craft tore through the night sky above him and dropped a container that floated down thanks to the parachute attached to it.

* * *

The party goers remained still and silent as Kite-Man continued sounding off his long winded demands. The majority of them didn't seem too bothered with the costumed criminals and were simply waiting for help to arrive. Vicki jotted down notes in secret while Basil tried to keep a low profile.

Some of the other guest were actually on edge; After all, Kite-Man wielded an actual gun and the four of them were as crazy as one would expect from Arkham regulars.

"...and when the cops get here, don't forget to tell them about us." Kite-Man dictated. "Especially me. That's K-I-T-E, Hyphen, MAN! Kite-Man! Hell yeah!"

Some of the hostages rolled their eyes and groaned in embarrassment but one of them, a young man, finally lost his patience.

"GOD! Why the hell did we have to get robbed by these losers!? At least Penguin or Mister Freeze would've made this night more exciting!" he burst out.

Polka-Dot and Condiment King both let out a long incredulous yet amused "Ohhhh!" while palming their cheeks in exaggeration, like they were about to witness a confrontation.

Kite-Man winced while shaking his head, turning his attention towards the man who spoke up.

"Aw, see, This! THIS is what I was talking about! I'm sick and tired of this city not taking us seriously!" he ranted as he pointed repeatedly at the offender.

The green-clad criminal stepped towards the young man in a threatening manner.

"Tell me something, smart guy? What does Penguin or Mister Freeze have that I don't?"

With that, Kite-Man suddenly brandished his gun towards him, making him shirk back in fear and eliciting gasps from the whole crowd.

"Not a freakin gun to your head! That's what!" Kite-Man yelled.

"There is a powerful entity present here. Continuing this foolishness will only put your own lives in danger."

A calm and collected voice rang out and when the four criminals turned towards it, they paused in their tracks seeing that it came from Himari. Polka-Dot in particular lifted up his red visor and uncovered his eyes which blinked in disbelief as he took in the curvaceousness of her body.

"Damn she thicc!" he remarked.

Condiment King immediately slunk up to her, causing her to slightly startle.

"Well hello-hello, my little Mizo! I didn't know we were in the company of such a delectable dish." he cooed.

But Polka-Dot just as quickly got in between them. His cheeks were rosy as he awkwardly waved at her like a preteen would when facing his crush.

"Erm, Hey! Name's Mister Polka-Dot. But Abner's cool too if you, um, wanna use that. Could you excuse us for a sec?"

Polka-Dot blabbered and then dragged Condiment King a distance away while Himari looked perplexed.

"Mitch, buddy..." Polka-Dot tried to keep his voice down. "Since we're almost done here...erm,...why don't you go get the car ready?"

Condiment King glared at his comrade with suspicion, he knew he was only trying to get rid of him.

"Why don't you? You're the better driver."

"Yeah, well...er...my license expired." Polka-Dot lamely explained.

The food-themed villain gave an equally lame excuse.

"Well, I have a bum leg."

Himari looked on with silence and innocently tilted her head with confusion as the costumed villains continued their back and forth before it turned into a full blown argument.

"...for that last time, I'm not checking the escape route! Now go away and stop being a PEST-O!"

"Bruh, seriously, enough with the damn puns! They're annoying! And it's not like you stand a chance with her anyway."

"Oh, like you'd be any better with your eye-sore of a suit!"

"Hey, I told you to lay off the threads! It's simple and functional! Okay!?"

Meanwhile, Killer Moth and Kite-Man watched as their teammates bickered like little kids. The latter gritted his teeth and was on the verge of losing his temper.

"Why did we bring along those two again?" Moth sighed and palmed his face through his helmet.

"Grrr! Both of you shut up and quit wasting time!" Kite-Man snapped. "The cops'll be here any minute or even worse, they might call in the Ba..."

Kite-Man trailed off when he and Moth noticed a large shadow fall over them. He looked up and his expression fell into a look of defeat.

"Aaaw, Fu-"

He didn't get to finished because his face received the heel of a boot which knocked him down and sent his gun clattering on the floor away from him. The remaining villains jumped in surprise as their attention fell on the sudden appearance of the Caped Crusader who stood next to their downed leader, poised for battle.

"Batman!" Polka-Dot and Condiment King exclaimed in unison.

Killer Moth quickly readied his Cocoon gun.

"Rush 'im! He can't handle all of us at once!" he commanded and then fired.

Batman dodged the sticky goop and quickly closed the distance between. With a few well placed strikes to the torso, he efficiency disarmed Moth from his gun and then used a powerful judo throw to slam him on the floor and knock him out.

Mister Polka-Dot charged at him while detaching two "dots" from his suit which functioned like razor sharp discs. Using them as melee weapons, he tried slashing at him but the Dark Knight kept dodging and swerving out of the way without effort.

Himari, who had stepped back into the crowd to conceal herself, kept her astonished eyes on solely on Batman as he engaged with the costumed criminals. She was so fixated on him that she didn't notice the large insect behind her moving across the walls while it intently observed the battle below.

After dodging long enough, Batman finally found the opening he was looking for and incapacitated Polka-Dot by grabbing his arms and kneeing him in the gut followed by a headbutt.

Condiment King used this opportunity to jump into the fray and aimed his two guns.

"LETTUCE dance, Batman!" he cackled as he shot two high pressured streams of ketchup and mustard.

Batman easily side stepped and flung a batarang but King managed to swerve to the side and avoid it.

"Ha! Too slow!" he gloated. "What's the matter? Don't have the THYME to MUSTARD a respon-"

His speech was cut short by a quick sock to his jaw which sent him crumpling to the floor unconscious. Kite-Man at this point managed to pick himself up and witness his comrade's fall.

"Hey! Nobody shuts him up but me!" he declared as he pulled out a device that was appropriate for his theme.

It was a miniature device that assembled into a small kite with a blade in the front and was connected with a long string that was fed by a spool attached to his arm.

He sent out the kite-weapon to attack but Batman simply cut the string with a thrown batarang and both the device and the long string fell uselessly to the floor. Kite-Man's face reverted back to its defeated look.

"Aaaw, Fu-"

His words were interrupted by Batman's fist.

With all four incapacitated, the situation was efficiently taken care of. The now freed hostages were able to breathe a sigh of relief and some even cheered knowing that it would be an easy win for the Dark Knight. Then only thing left for him was to secure them.

"Listen...Batman," Kite-Man spoke up as Batman was about to cuff him, the remaining of the zany villains were already rounded up and handcuffed a distance away.

"Can't you just help a guy out with his street cred and tell the cops that you had a little hard time taking us down?" the Kite-themed villain pleaded.

Batman only grunted in annoyance as he clicked the lock.

Behind them all, the insect-like thing that had been observing them had finally decided to make its move. After unfurling its wings and then beating it rapidly, it zipped through the crowd, it's veil of invisibility prevented anyone from noticing it save for the gust it created. It met its mark by ramming into the back of an unsuspecting Killer Moth and absorbing itself inside him.

Killer Moth suddenly began convulsing, grabbing the attention of Polka-Dot and King who looked at him with surprise and worry. Then the convulsing abruptly stopped and Moth stayed still for a second before rising to his feet with his hands still cuffed.

"He...he...he...Yatto mitsuketa, Matsuei!" Killer Moth drawled with a completely different voice.

"Err...Moth? You okay, man? You're talking funny." asked Polka-Dot.

Batman stood and turned to face Moth with a curious gaze. He knows that Killer Moth wasn't 'talking funny', he was speaking Japanese and was doing so in a manner that it was like he had turned into a completely different person.

"You think you can hide from us? Especially in that costume!?" Moth continued to speak in Japanese and then, to the surprise of everyone in the room, broke his handcuffs with ease.

"You clearly underestimate the senses of an Ayakashi!"

It wasn't even his most surprising feat. In fact, what happened next took such frightening turn that the sent the party guests screaming and his comrades scrambling back in shock.

Various parts of his upper body began to sickeningly balloon up, his purple shirt was stretched until it tore and a mass of rust brown fur erupted. His sleeves and gloves bloated violently and then tore to shreds as a pair of three-clawed appendages burst from within, black exoskeleton married with brown fur. From his shoulders grew a pair of insect forelimbs that ended with a sharp blade-like edge and his well-known helmet split open revealing pair of large dangerously angled black eyes under long feathery antennas, thick mandibles where his mouth was functioned as 'lips'.

To top off his transformation, large orange moth wings unfurled from his back into an impressive wingspan, the surface of each decorated with two circular patterns resembling eyes.

"I WILL RIP YOU OPEN AND FEAST ON YOUR INSIDES!" the transformed Moth screeched and with a beat of its wings, surged forward and seizing Batman with its arms, sending them both crashing through the large window overlooking city.

The party guest along with the remaining costumed criminals looked out the broken glass with wide eyes and their mouths hanging open. The momentary silence was finally broken by an one of the guests, an old woman

"Somebody call the police!" she shrieked.

"Yeah, no shit!" Mister Polka-Dot remarked.

* * *

If one were to look up, they would two figures tussling in the night sky. Batman tried powering out of the Demon Moth's grip and when that didn't work, he resorted to punching at its head. The blows disturbed the Ayakashi's flight path but it still held its vice grip. In a last ditch effort, the Dark Knight held his breath and fished out a smoke bomb from his utility belt. Then, after holding it in front of Moth's face, he manually discharged it.

That seemed to have done the trick! The sudden gushing smoke not only caught it off guard but it also caused it to start coughing and release its grip.

Batman immediately slowed his fall by spreading his cape into its glide-mode and descended towards the rooftop of a nearby building. However as he touched down, the Ayakashi landed with a hard thump a few feet in front of him, still eager to kill.

"Who are you!?" Batman yelled in Japanese. "And what have you done to Killer Moth!?"

The Demon Moth seemed to tilt its head with interest.

"So you can understand our tongue after all, Matsuei?" its thick mandibles clapped as the black unfeeling eyes fixed on its prey.

It then suddenly launched itself at him with its sharp forelimbs ready to strike. Batman managed to avoid the attack but Moth continued to slash at him as it spoke.

"Good! Then hear me as I say that you should be more concerned for your own well being!"

Batman thought frantically as he barely managed to dodge the consecutive slashes, getting a few nicks on his suit. He didn't fully understand what was going on other than whatever this 'thing' was that infected Killer Moth seemed to have a vendetta against him. It called him 'Matsuei'...Descendant. Descendant of what?

As Moth was about to rear back its forelimbs, Batman grabbed hold of them and swung himself into a flip, kicking the Ayakashi's face in the process. It staggered back and as Batman landed on his feet, he brandished three batarangs on each hand and flung them.

Moth recovered just in time to see the spinning projectiles approach him and responded by beating its wings. It created a powerful gust that blew away the batarangs and the large wings continued to flap to create a continuous gale of wind. Batman held his arms in front of him and pushed against the gale force but it proved too strong and sent him back smacking against a brick wall. Just as he recovered, his right arm was suddenly anchored against the wall by a sticky gunk, it seemed to be silk.

Batman tried to pull his arm free and when that failed, he pulled out a pocket laser-cutter from his belt and shone a thin powerful beam to melt through the adhesive but unfortunately, it was taking much longer than he expected.

"Tch! Pathetic!" the Ayakashi taunted as he approached his trapped prey.

"All you have are fancy toys, you don't even know about the blood that runs through you! Of course, none of that will matter after I spill every last drop of it."

A voice suddenly rang out.

"I can't let you do that."

Both Batman and Moth paused in surprise as a figure suddenly landed in between them. She stood, with eyes glinting like she was on the hunt, holding a long scabbard that held a tachi sword. It was Himari.

"This one is mine." she claimed with a confident grin.

__"What's SHE doing here!?" __Batman wondered.

The Moth's antennas twitched in confusion. He was able sense her true nature and figured she was trying to stake her claim on his prey.

"You want him too? Don't get in my way! I saw him first!" he exclaimed.

"I draw this blade against none but Ayakashi!" Hamari declared as she unsheathed her sword, Yasutsuna, and then pointed the weapon at him with killing intent.

"I slay none but Ayakashi!"

If the Demon Moth's face allowed him to smirk in amusement, it would.

"Heh, then I'll just have to kill you too."

Batman was as perplexed as ever. He first thought Himari was some crazy bystander but it seemed that she was somehow involved with all this nonsense. That term, 'Ayakashi', was used by both her and Moth but what does it mean?

Nonetheless, he took advantage of this interruption and used the laser to melt away most of the silk gunk. Himari glanced back towards him and noticed that he was almost free.

"Stand aside, there's nothing you can do." she said.

"The hell I am!" Batman grunted as he pulled his arm free. "If you're intending to kill it, don't. There's a man still inside that thing!"

Himari sneered almost playfully.

"Hmph. You mean that lowly bandit? I hardly see anyone of that kind as someone worth saving."

Before Batman could respond, he took notice that Moth suddenly spat a large glob of silken gunk at them and prompted them both to jump out of the way. When he landed, Batman brandished a batarang on each hand and was about to charge when Himari dashed past him with much more impressive speed. Both Batman and the Moth were taken aback by how fast she was.

The Ayakashi flapped its wings and flew backwards to not only send a powerful gust but to also put more distance between. It also spat out a volley of gunk at her for good measure but in an amazing feat of agility, she was able to avoid every one of them. Growing desperate, Moth uncoiled its long proboscis beneath its mandibles and whipped it at her.

Himari leaped up as it struck the ground and primed her Yasutsuna, ready to cleave him in half as he stood defenseless.

Batman tensed up and was about to intervene when unexpectedly, Himari turned her blade around to attack him with the edge-less side of her sword.

She struck him hard with enough force to send him to the ground and drive out the Ayakashi out from an unconscious and helmet-less Drury Walker.

The Ayakashi in question, with its veil of invisibility dropped, resembled an Oak Silk Moth with a large bulbous body. It screeched in outrage and streaked at her only to have the Yasutsuna thrown at it and impale its body like a spear.

It was sent flying back until the point of the sword, sticking out behind the Ayakashi, stuck against the brick wall and held it in place. Despite it being grievously injured and in pain the monster insect tried using it's limbs to push the blade out but Himari immediately appeared before it and drove the sword further in with violent force.

The monstrous insect screeched out as its wings fluttered in agony. Blood oozed from the point of puncture and its legs twitched furiously. As its vision begun to fade it looked upon her and saw her eyes gleaming with bloodlust and a murderous grin etched on her face, the sight frightened it to its core. Finally, the movement of its limbs and wings ceased and its body began to dry up until all of it turned to dust and scattered in the wind.

Feeling satisfied, Himari pulled Yasutsuna out from the wall and returned it to its sheath. But as she did so, something struck and embedded itself on the same wall a few inches away from her. It was a batarang, thrown as a warning shot.

She glanced back and then smirked before turning her full attention towards the Dark Knight who didn't look the least bit pleased.

"You westerners have a strange way of showing gratitude." she snickered.

"I don't recall asking for your help." Batman said as he continued to glare at her. "You're going to explain what hell is going on! Right now!"

Rather than heading his threat, Himari suddenly zipped away from his sight and before he knew it, she was right beside him on his left. She held his cape up and peered at it curiously like she was a girl at the market.

"Does everyone in this city wear such strange clothing?" she asked.

Batman yanked his cape away but in a quick motion she pilfered the batarang from his other hand and knelt next to his right as she played with it like it was a toy.

"And such interesting contraptions too."

"Give me that!" Batman snapped as he grabbed it back from her.

But then in move that made him almost choke on his own breath, she quickly crawled right up to his belt. Grasping it with one hand while pawing at it with the other.

"Is this where you keep them? How many pockets does this thing have?"

To his discomfort, Himari's face was too close to his crotch and so he tried to pull away and step backwards.

"Get off me!" he demanded.

But Himari, still caught in her frenzy of curiosity, scampered all the way up him, held his head with both her hands and brought her face very close to his.

"And this mask...it looks almost like a Hannya."

"I said get off!"

munyu~!

Both of them froze and slowly glanced down. Unfortunately, Batman's attempt to push her away resulted in his gloved palm accidentally pressed against her breast. The two of them were immediately repelled from each other. Batman retracted his arm with a flinch, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. And he wasn't sure if he imagined it but for a brief second, he could've sworn he saw something white and furry appear on her head.

Meanwhile Himari jumped back with a small shriek as she covered her chest with her arms.

"S-so...so bold!" she said, flustered as her cheeks reddened.

"ENOUGH!" Batman barked, his patience almost at an end. "Who are you!? What business do you have in Gotham!"

Himari paused and then her lips curled back into her usual confident smile.

"Have you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?" he asked.

"You had already asked me this...during our dance."

Batman's eyes expanded in surprise for a moment. Does this mean...? Regardless of what she's implying, he kept his cool and contracted his eyes back into sharp points as his face turned stony.

"You even said my English was good." Himari said warmly as she sauntered up to him.

She was right next to him but this time he remained in place with his glare still fixed on her.

"I like dancing with you, we should do it again sometime."

"I don't know what you're talking about." he stated with a hard voice.

"Really?" Himari asked, amused and disbelieving.

There was a brief silence between the two until Himari's gaze slowly dropped as her expression turned serious.

"Listen, there will be more like the one who attacked you today."

But then her eyes returned to him, they had softened as her smile grew warm and affectionate.

"But fret not." she said. "From this day forward, I will be your sheild and I will your sword. I will make sure no harm comes to you as I had pledged...no, even if I had not, I would still protect you. I will always watch over you,...Master."

Batman blinked and raised a brow in puzzlement.

"Master?"

At that moment the door to the roof suddenly swung open and a few officers of GCPD rushed out, lead by Commissioner James Gordon who immediately noticed Batman and the stranger standing next to him. He couldn't see her face since her back was towards him but he didn't want to take any chances and so he trained his gun on her.

"You there! Don't move!" he commanded.

Himari reacted by jumping high in the air, much higher than a normal person could be capable of. The cops and the commissioner were left befuddled as Himari landed two buildings away. And then, like a flea, she bounded from one rooftop to another until she vanished.

"Batman, what's going on? Who was that?" asked Gordon.

"I..." Batman started as he stared after where she disappeared to.

His cape flapped in the wind as he gazed at the nightly horizon with his mind filled with questions.

"I have no idea."

**TBC**

* * *

**AN:**

***Personally, I'm excited about the Robert Pattinson casting and can't wait to see what he brings to the table.**


	3. A Monster of Another Kind

**AN: First off, for everyone waiting for the next chapter of Chivalry of a Dark Knight, it's still in the works. I've been held up with a bad cold this month so I got much less work done than I would've liked. Don't worry, the wait will be worth it ;)**

**Secondly, I want to give a shout-out to Okami Princess for some of the ideas she's given me for this chapter. Thank you so much and I hope you're well!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 03: A Monster of Another Kind**

Before him was a large monitor displaying multiple windows of photos and looping video clips, they were taken from the built in camera within his cowl lenses during his encounter with the possessed Killer Moth. They were all of...her.

It had been a few hours since he turned in Kite-man's gang to the GCPD, they were probably back in their cells in Arkham by now, and throughout this whole time he still couldn't get her out of his mind. He knew that trying to find out where she actually came from would be futile but he could run facial recognition to see if she used a passport to get into the country.

Unfortunately that also turned out to be a dead end; if she did arrive by plane or boat, it probably wasn't through legal means.

He thought back to their fight with Moth and the mentioned word 'Ayakashi' came to mind. He had already looked it up and apparently it was another word for Youkai. Japanese supernatural creatures of folklore and myth, but surely they're nothing but just fairy tales, right?

And then there was something else that disturbed him: they both seemed to know him. That thing that possessed Moth referred to him as a descendant and Himari specifically sought out Bruce Wayne and seemed to know he was Batman.

And more importantly, why did she call him 'Master'?

His eyes narrowed as he zoomed in on one image, bringing her heart-shaped face and violet eyes into view.

"Himari..." he breathed out.

"Did you say something, Master Wayne?"

Bruce quickly minimized the whole program and brought a map of Gotham on screen just as Alfred approached.

"Nothing, Alfred. I was just checking the Police feed. Aside from the trouble at the fundraiser, there doesn't seem to be anything else going on tonight." Bruce explained in haste, deciding to keep the whole 'Youkai' thing to himself.

Alfred nodded with a content smile, glad that the city was at some semblance of peace.

"Indeed, sir. A much needed quiet respite."

But of course, Bruce was far from content and stood up while pulling his cowl over his head.

"Too quiet." he said grimly. "I'll be heading out for patrol."

With a disapproving frown, Alfred firmly stepped in front of Batman before he could leave.

"With all due respect Master Wayne, I recall you haven't slept for two nights straight."

"Forty six hours and twenty five minutes by my count." Batman responded in mock defense.

"Regardless, I highly suggest you refrain from jumping off rooftops until AFTER you've had proper nourishment and at least eight hours of bed rest! You said it yourself: there are no pressing emergencies and I'm sure that even the Batman could use ONE night off."

Batman glared silently at his Butler but Alfred stood there steadfast with his arms crossed in defiance. For a short moment, a silent battle of wills raged between the two of them until Batman finally relaxed with a defeated sigh.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" he asked wearily.

"Indubitably, sir."

"Fine." Bruce grumbled while taking off his cowl as he made his way towards the secret entrance to the Manor.

Alfred meanwhile smirked in triumph, it wasn't everyday he got the Master to listen to him and so he reveled in his victory before following after him.

With the two of them gone, the cave seemed quiet and there didn't seem to be any activity. That was until the Batmobile's canopy suddenly slid open and out jumped a certain snow white cat.

* * *

Bruce laid on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head, his eyes were open and his mind was still buzzing with activity. He felt a little frustrated that he didn't have anything else to focus on but here he was. After sighing in resignation, he finally decided to close his eyes and attempted to put himself in a meditative state so he could relax his body.

So deep he was in this state that he didn't notice the sheets over his lower body slowly being pushed up and take shape like there was another person underneath.

"Retiring to bed so soon?" came a familiar voice.

Bruce's eyes popped open just as Himari's face poked out from under the sheets and hovered over his. He first blinked, thinking for a moment that he was dreaming but when he realized that the situation was very real, he quickly shot up and scooted back from startlement.

"W-wha-what the hell are you doing here!?" he balked, caught completely off guard.

"How rude. Is that anyway to greet a lovely girl who's taken to trouble to visit you at night?" Himari pouted playfully.

The sheets around her slid off as she crawled towards him with a mischievous smile, those haunting violet eyes seemed to gleam in the dark. That was when Bruce noticed her attire: all she wore was a thin white yukata that fitted around her loosely to the point that her cleavage hung before him.

"You should learn to be more appreciative." she said.

"You're trespassing!" Bruce snarled defensively. "How did you get past security!?"

"I snuck inside your ox-less carriage and entered through that cave. Such a large castle and yet you spend all your time down below, why is that?"

Bruce's eyes widened, realizing that she was in the cave! He assumed what she meant by "ox-less carriage" was actually the Batmobile but how did she sneak inside? There was no way anyone could do that without his notice. But more importantly, if she entered the Manor through the cave then that only meant one thing.

__"Dammit." __he cursed to himself.

There was no way he could deny out of this. It was obvious that Himari knew who he was.

"What do you want!?" he asked harshly.

No being the least discouraged by his hostility, Himari took him by surprise by suddenly pulling his hips towards her and then pushing his shoulders down on the bed so she could crawl over him.

"Do you perchance remember earlier when you touched me? You have quite salacious hands, Master." she teased.

"That was-!"

Bruce's voice completely died in his throat when she suddenly took one of his hands and pressed it against one of her breasts! All his mental protocols in trying to control the situation instantly evaporated and all he could think of was the softness in his palm.

"It's alright, I don't mind. If you wish, you can touch me as much as you want." she said so in a soft, sensuous voice.

His mind turned to complete mush as she draped herself over him with her bosom firmly pressed to his muscled chest. He could clearly hear the purring from her throat as she snuggled her face to the side of his neck and then proceeded to lick him.

Bruce flinched and his nerves tingled, feeling the surprising roughness of her tongue. As much as he was internally protesting, a large part of himself admitted that her actions were turning him on.

"Master..." he heard her moan and then felt one of her hands feel over him. From his arm to his abs before beginning to trail down to his crotch.

This triggered alarm bells in his head, telling him that this has gone far enough and with a sudden panicky resolve, he roughly pushed her off as he sat up.

"Enough of this!" he growled. "If you think you can just break into my property and have your way, you've got another coming!"

Himari first looked at him confused but then her mischievous smile returned when she suddenly grabbed hold of both his wrists and pushed him back down with his arms trapped above his head. Bruce attempted to fight back but to his surprise, her strength was freakishly overpowering his own and securely held his wrists down.

"What the...?" Bruce blurted in disbelief.

With ease, Himari readjusted herself so she could pin down his arms with just her forearm, leaving her other hand free to place a finger to his lips.

"Shhhh..." she instructed playfully.

Bruce froze as she trailed her finger down towards the button of his night shirt which she slowly undid.

"What are you doing? S-stop that!"

But she didn't listen to Bruce's protests and continued to unbutton his shirt until his chest was exposed.

"As I thought, it's broken." Himari said.

"Huh?"

Bruce blinked and then realized that she was referring to the Omamori on his chest.

"This charm was imbued with great spiritual power that protected you till now. Now that it's broken, the Ayakashis will begin to sense your presence. Such is your destiny."

"Destiny?"

"Yes. But remember, you don't need to worry because you are now under my protection."

"I don't need any protection." he stated with a glare and then tried to pull his arm free but she still managed to hold it there with her strength.

"What are you anyway?" Bruce asked.

Himari giggled at this.

"As I've said, my name is Himari." and then to Bruce's shock, a pair of fluffy white cat ears suddenly sprung from her head and a long wagging white tail revealed itself behind her.

"And I'm also an Ayakashi, a cute Bakeneko." she finished.

Bruce's jaw slacked as his expression turned flabbergasted.

_" 'Da Hell!?"_

And just in that moment, the door to his room swung open and there stood Alfred with a shotgun in one hand.

The butler froze at the scene before him and both Bruce and Himari looked back at him awkwardly like two teens caught in the act by their parents.

"Alfred, this isn't what it looks like!" Bruce cried out frantically.

Ignoring his employer, Alfred quickly aimed the shotgun at the female intruder.

"Identify yourself at once!" he demanded.

Surprisingly, Himari softly chuckled and regarded the older British with a warm smile.

"It's been a long time, Alfred-sama." she said, shocking both men. "But if you're trying to threaten me, you'd have better luck with those infernal English lessons than that gun."

Alfred lowered his weapon slightly and squinted at her for a moment before his eyes fully opened in recollection.

"Miss Himari?"

Himari let out a sudden cat-like noise before she sprung from the bed towards Alfred and threw her arms around him.

"My word! It IS you!" Alfred laughed in joy.

The shotgun was dropped to the floor as he returned the hug, making Himari purr with happiness. Alfred then pulled away slightly to get a proper look at her.

"Goodness, the last I saw you, you were but a mere kitten but look at you! You've grown into such a beautiful young lady."

The reunion between them was interrupted with a hard "Ahem", bringing their attention to Bruce who now sat at the edge of his bed looking none too pleased.

"Alfred..." Bruce began with grit teeth, his temper on the verge of being lost. "Mind explaining to me what's going on? How do you know this...cat person!?"

Alfred briefly looked back and forth between Himari and Bruce and then let out a defeated sigh.

"I suppose it was foolish of me to think it wouldn't come to this." he said morosely.

Bruce raised a brow, jaw still clenched as he waited for an answer. Alfred then straighten himself and walked by the door before he gestured Bruce and Himari to follow him.

"Come Master Wayne, it's time you learned a little something...about your family."

* * *

Elsewhere in a dark abyss was a gathering of various Ayakashis. They had been exchanging information regarding Wayne's survival and the fall of one of their brethren.

"So the Crimson Blade of Noihara has allied with him." one of them mused.

"That traitorous Bakeneko!" another spat with disgust.

"What should we do? How can we get to Wayne with her following him?"

The one they asked looked surprisingly human and not only stood out from the menagerie of strangely shaped creatures but also stood at the center of them as if figure of authority.

"Have patience." the person said. "Understand that Wayne isn't like the other Slayers, he hasn't awakened his abilities yet."

Behind their apparent leader came a soft emotionless voice.

"It doesn't matter if he has or not. ~Nano."

Another human appeared before the gathering but unlike the leader, this one looked like a pre-teen girl.

She had a petite stature, giving the impression that she was as old as twelve but no younger than ten, with short green hair that had thick bangs framing her forehead and the sides of her face. She wore a short soaking wet white sundress that clung to her pale skin and was translucent enough to reveal her panties. To top off her unusual appearance, her eyes were deep red and looked dead along with her expression.

"All Demon Slayers are evil and shouldn't be allowed to live. ~Nano." she stated in a soft yet cold voice.

"Ah, Dear Mizuchi." The leader turned slightly to address her. "Have you found a suitable host?"

"Yes. I have."

"Good. Then you may take the Honengyo with you and proceed."

The girl paused for a second before speaking up.

"Why are you so interested in this...'Arkham'?"

She pronounced it with some difficulty and then uncharacteristically narrowed her cold red eyes.

"It is a dark and dreadful place. ~Nano."

Their leader smiled and in a dramatic fashion, spun to address the surrounding Ayakashis, answering not only for her but for everyone present.

"Because as I've said: Wayne isn't like the others. He is more preoccupied with fighting these criminals and costumed freaks."

To emphasize, the leader flung his arms in a throwing motion.

"So we'll scatter them! Empower them, use them to distract him and the Bakeneko until they both drop their guard for us to strike at the right moment."

The leader's hand then gestures towards the green haired girl.

"I will even leave that honor to you, Dear Mizuchi."

"Wakatta." she responded simply with a nod.

And with that, her entire body turned to water, fell and then seeped into the floor.

* * *

The sounds of rain hammering against the skylight above echoed throughout the long corridor. At intervals the monotonous sounds were accompanied by a distant rumble and a flash of lightning that momentarily lit up the surroundings.

"Jeez, what's with this weather?" Correctional Officer Mills commented. "They didn't say anything about rain in today's forecast."

He was accompanying an older and shorter man that had stern features and was wearing a lab coat and had a clipboard in his hand, obviously a doctor in the facility.

"Well it IS Gotham after all." the doctor grunted sardonically.

"Maybe you should clock off early, Doctor Clarke. Before it gets worse."

The two of them continued to walk down the dark corridor that had rows of cell doors on either side.

"One last patient to visit and then I'll call it a night."

Mills halted when Clarke stopped before one particular door and the Correctional Officer balked in horror when he realized who's cell it was. The name plaque was displayed before him as another flash of thunder and lightning illuminated it in an ominous fashion. The name was...

'W. JONES'

"You're ending your rounds with HIM!? You're itching to get nightmares or something?! That thing isn't even human!"

But Clarke ignored the officer's fearful protest and commanded him with indifference.

"Open the door, Officer Mills."

Mills gulped and then took out his key bunch, he cycled through them and went through the usual motions until he paused when his key hovered before the keyhole.

"Alright. Remember protocol, Doctor: stay by the door and keep at least four feet of distance." he cautioned.

"Yes, yes, I know." the Doctor waved off in dismissal.

And so the key was turned and the door was slowly pulled open.

At first there didn't seem to be anyone inside the dark padded cell but if one were look further, they would see a large shadowed form hunched up against the wall seemingly asleep.

Wearing only a pair of pants, he was a hulking mass of green scaly muscles with his arms bound by heavy thick links of chains attached to the wall. He was bald but like the rest of his body, his head was adorned with thick plates and his mouth was a large maw with interlocking teeth. At the sound of the unlocking door, his eyes opened and revealed them to be all too reptilian.

"How are we feeling today, Waylon?" Clarke asked apathetically.

Killer Croc's only response was his flat nostrils flaring. He never liked Doctor Clarke, especially when he used his real name. It sounded so condescending.

Clarke shot a scrutinizing glance towards the Crocodile-man before flipping through his clipboard.

"You've been quite busy the other day, I hear you got into a sort of altercation with some of the security guards. Three injured, two hospitalized and one in intensive care for having his...foot bitten off."

The doctor read that last bit with slight disbelief before turning his attention back towards Croc.

"Would you like to share your thoughts on that,...Waylon?"

Croc remained silent.

"Very well, here's mine." the doctor said. "My preliminary assessment is that these violent outbursts of yours could be traced back to some deep rooted childhood trauma. They called you names, didn't they? 'Lizard boy'?, 'Scaly freak'?,...'Ugly bastard'? It couldn't have been easy growing up with that condition of yours, especially with your abusive aunt."

This got a reaction. Croc narrowed his eyes as his throat rumbled with a warning growl.

"I initially assumed that you embracing such animalistic behavior and cannibalism was your way of getting back at your abusers but after reviewing your file, I came to the conclusion that this is a case of self-loathing. You hate yourself, don't you Waylon? For your father abandoning you and your mother's death after giving birth-"

With an appropriate flash of lightning and thunder, Croc charged with roar! The chains bound to his arms managed to hold him back but it didn't stop him pulling against it and snapping his jaws at the air like a leashed rabid dog.

Mills was startled enough to quickly grab his taser-gun and take aim but Doctor Clarke stopped him with an outstretched arm. Seeing that the chains was still holding the criminal, Mills shakily put away his weapon. Even if the chains didn't hold, he doubted if the taser would actually stop him.

"Waylon..., we talked about this." Clarke said disapprovingly like a stern father. "Remember what I said about using that aggression more constructively?"

Croc finally spoke out with an inhuman gutteral voice.

**"Oh, I remember alright!"**

The Crocodile-man then gave a sinister grin.

**"Want me to say it out loud? How 'bout you come a little closer, Doc...So I can whisper it to ya!"**

The Doctor sniffed with indignation as he took out a pen and wrote on his clipboard.

"I see that your progress has been slow as usual. For now, I'll recommend doubling the dosage of your medication. Good night, Waylon."

Right then, a drop of water fell on the paper he was writing on and smudged some of the ink.

Curious, both Clarke and Officer Mills looked up to see a damp spot forming on the padded ceiling where water was beginning to leak. Drops of water continued to fall, drip after drip, enough to form a small puddle at his feet. The doctor figured the rain caused enough damage for the water to seep in, but he found it strange that it seeped all the way here.

"Odd..." he commented.

"That's not going to be a problem, is it?" asked Mills.

Mills was worried that a leak like that could effect the structural integrity of the cell but Clarke waved off his concerns.

"No, I wouldn't worry about it. Besides..." the doctor spoke as he took one last look at Croc. "His skin could use the humidity."

Croc's throat rumbled in fury again as the two of them left and locked the door again. Alone again, he turned his attention towards the leak from the ceiling and noticed that the damp spot seemed to be getting bigger and bigger with multiple drips forming. And then to his surprise, a large watery body began to seep through.

It was almost human-size and like a giant droplet, it stuck to the ceiling until enough mass seeped through for it to fall. And just like magic, when it splashed upon impact, it revealed a young green-haired girl in a crouched landing position.

Surprisingly, Croc didn't show much of a reaction. In fact, he chuckled at the whole thing.

**"That's a nice trick you got there, Short Plate."** he sneered.

The girl straightened herself up facing him. Her eyes and voice as emotionless as ever.

"My name is Shizuku. Not 'Short Plate'. ~Nano."

**"Name's Croc, Killer Croc. And in case you didn't know, Vistin' hours are over and I get awful cranky before dinner. So, are you here to bust me out?"**

Croc evilly licked his chops.

**"Or are you on the menu?"**

Shizuku frowned slightly at him.

"I had first thought you were one of us but I realized that you're just a bloodthirsty beast, like the rest of the humans. ~Nano."

But then her expression faltered.

"However..." she spoke softly.

His reptilian eyes widened in surprise. Those red eyes which appeared dead earlier now seemed to show pity.

Shizuku had overheard what the doctor said about Croc she couldn't help but compare him to her fellow Mizuchi who were feared by humans and hunted to near extinction.

"I know what it's like. ~Nano. To be judged and persecuted."

Croc growled dangerously. The last time someone acted sorry for him, he found out he had been set up. He had been hurt and betrayed so many times that he was convinced that everyone only saw him as a monster to be used. He had decided that if he was going to live in this cruel jungle, then he'd rather live in it with him at the top of the food chain. At least the Bat in some way understood him, even though he wanted rip that caped bastard to shreds.

**"Save that sympathy crap!"** he snarled. **"I've heard it a million times already and I don't need to hear it from some green-haired little bitch!"**

Shizuku paused, a little taken aback before narrowing her eyes coldly.

"Very well." she said without emotion.

She then stretched her arms out from her sides with open palms like an act of psychokinesis and on cue, water broke through and gushed from the ceiling. Croc looked around to see water filling up the padded cell but that wasn't the strangest thing; even though the water isn't deep, he could see an enormous shadow swimming beneath the surface. It swam beside Shizuku, the spines on its back slowly breaking the surface.

"Honengyo, take him. ~Nano." she commanded

The shadow lunged at Croc and everything for him went black.

* * *

"Demon Slayers?" Bruce asked in bewilderment.

By then Alfred had given a basic gist of Thomas and Martha's double life while leading Bruce and Himari past the living room and into Thomas Wayne's old office.

Himari had earlier changed into a purple hitatare-style kimono that Alfred brought her. Apparently, it used to belong to Martha. Her mind drifted back to when they passed living room and the large portrait of the Waynes that hung over the fireplace, seeing it made her ears lower and brought a sad expression to her face.

"I don't understand what you mean, Alfred. And what does this have to do with my parent's trips to Japan? They were just business trips, weren't they?" Bruce continued to inquire.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Bruce saw Alfred walk towards one of the portraits in the office where he pulled open a panel to reveal a key hole. That's when the young billionaire noticed that there was actually a hidden door built into the wall along with a portion of the painting. He couldn't believe that he overlooked something like that, especially in his own home!

"There's a secret room in my father's office?"

"Indeed Master Wayne." Alfred nodded with a smirk. "This house held many secrets long before you even became one yourself."

The butler pulled out a special key and unlocked the door.

Bruce and Himari stepped into a large room that looked like a small antique museum. There were glass cases that contained Katanas, Naginatas, bows and arrows, various weapons that a samurai would wield. There were also paintings, scrolls and even model skeletons depicting all sorts of creatures and finally, adoring the walls, were framed photographs. The largest one was black and white group photo of a traditional Japanese family, Bruce looked around before stopping in front of it.

"Alfred, what is all this? Who are these people?"

Himari spoke up behind him.

"They are the Amakawa family, one of the twelve major Demon Slayer clans in Japan."

Bruce turned towards her with a look of skepticism.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" she asked with an amusement smile. "The twelve families have a long history stretching back to ancient times. They were tasked by the ruling government to hunt and kill Ayakashis whom they believed endangered humans. The proof is before you, as I myself am an Ayakashi."

Then without warning, she closed their distance and put her arms around him while her breasts squished against him with an audible sound.

"If you still have doubts, perhaps you would like a more thorough examination?" she sensually offered as her cheeks tinged.

Alfred coughed in both uncomfortable and stern matter while Bruce slowly pulled her hands away from him while frowning.

"Fine, I get it, they're Demon Slayers. But what does that have to with my parents?" he asked.

"It has to do with her." Alfred said, point to another photo.

This one was smaller but was in color and more prominent compared to the rest. It was of a young Japanese woman in an eye-catching Kimono.

"Her name is Hikaru Amakawa." Alfred explained.

The butler then fixed his eyes with Bruce's before what he said next.

"She is your grandmother."

Bruce first blinked, not sure if he heard him right but then his jaw slowly dropped as the reality of what he said hit him.

"That's ridiculous! Dad told me she was a New York businesswoman and that she died giving birth to him!"

"That's what his father told him." Alfred said. "Your grandfather, Patrick Wayne, met Miss Hikaru during a trip to Japan. She found him near death and took him to the Amakawa house to nurse him back to health."

"Near death? What happened?"

"He claimed he was being pursued by dangerous men. The leading theory was that they were Soviet spies. Master Patrick was the founder of Wayne Tech after all."

Bruce recalled hearing that during the height of the Cold War, Wayne Tech was a huge benefactor of the US government with its technological innovations. This led to rumors that his grandfather was a "Target of the Commies" but Thomas told him it was just nonsense conspiracy theories.

"In any case, Master Patrick was moved by Miss Hikaru's kindness and extended his stay for over a year. One thing led to another and the two of them fell in love."

Alfred continued to tell the tale as he moved up towards the Amakawa family photo and sighed.

"But her family did not approve of their relationship. The Amakawa's ways were steeped in tradition and couldn't tolerate the idea of their eldest daughter marrying a foreigner. So to prevent her from being harmed and ostracized from her family, Master Patrick chose to leave and return to America, along with their newborn son."

"My dad was born abroad?" asked an utterly gobsmacked Bruce.

The butler nodded in response. Bruce ran his fingers through his hair, trying to digest this information. The whole thing put everything he knew about his life in a light he never imagined. He tried to approach the situation logically and that brought one question to mind.

"Alright, I take it that Dad grew up in Gotham unaware of his roots and the Amakawas continued on, treating the whole thing like a dirty secret. What changed?"

"What changed was that your father inherited the Light Ferry." Himari said.

Bruce looked at her weirdly.

"The what?"

"Certain members from each of the twelve families are born with supernatural gifts to help them combat demons. The Light Ferry is the gift bestowed to only male members of the Amakawas."

"Master Thomas only found out about it as a teenager." Alfred interjected. "I had just been assigned to his charge when the heirs of the surviving families approached him. They needed his power and requested that he join their ranks."

As Alfred spoke, Bruce approached a different framed photograph. This one was more recent compared to the others. It was of Thomas and Martha in samurai-like gear posing valiantly with their weapons alongside five other people Bruce didn't recognize. He assumed that these were the surviving heirs.

Seeing his parents in this life he never knew about made him feel like his whole world was spinning, it was proving too much for him and he wasn't sure what to think.

"Believe me Master Wayne, Your father was as befuddled as you are when he first learnt the truth. But he was also fascinated about his mother and so he accepted his role as a Demon Slayer while balancing his life as heir to Wayne Enterprise."

"And my mother..." Bruce asked with a low voice. "She knew about all this?"

"Far more than that, Sir. Master Thomas took her as an apprentice of sorts and she became his partner. They made quite the team." Alfred said with a sense of pride.

Bruce lowered his head and mumbled.

"This whole time..."

"Sir?"

"Why did you hide this from me!?"

Alfred flinched from Bruce's sudden outburst and Himari looked on in silence. The older Englishman sighed and spoke with a somber tone, dropping titles at this moment to not speak to Bruce as his butler but as his guardian and friend.

"I understand that you're upset, Bruce. But understand that like your father, I care about you like my own son. Master Thomas had intended to tell you on that fateful night, how could I possibly tell you after what happened. I thought perhaps I should give it time but by then, you were already so hell-bent on vengeance and your crusade against crime in Gotham that I couldn't bear to think what the truth could do to you."

"Just answer me one thing, Alfred..." Bruce growled. "Did the Ayakashis have anything to do with my parent's death?"

The older man was little caught off guard by the question, even Himari looked off to side in discomfort.

"No. At the time, Master Thomas had set up many wards over the city. Ayakashis wouldn't dare attack him here." Alfred answered.

"So none of it mattered." Bruce said and then released a light bitter chuckle.

"Heh, It's actually kind of ironic. My parents were warriors trained to fight powerful Ayakashis and monsters but in the end, they were killed by a monster of another kind: a desperate punk with a gun!"

Alfred and Himari remained silent as Bruce continued his diatribe.

"I've learned the hard way about how poisoned this city is. Perhaps my parents thought giving half attention to Gotham would be enough and they paid the price for it but I won't make that same mistake!"

Bruce narrowed his eyes while giving a firm statement.

"This changes nothing."

And then swung an arm gesturing his surroundings.

"None of THIS changes a damn thing!"

Himari frowned and then stepped towards him.

"It is no use being in denial." she said. "The blood of the Amakawas runs within you and you are next in line to inherit the Light Ferry as your father did."

"Except I don't have this Light Ferry or any supernatural gift of any kind!" Bruce fires back.

"Not yet but it's only a matter of time. Or do you really intend to continue this masquerade as Ayakashis hound after you?"

Bruce clenched his jaw realizing that she had a point, continuing things as they were was definitely going to be difficult with these new developments. This whole mess started because the Omamori his parents left him broke, once again that damned thing has caused nothing but-

His thoughts halted as an idea formed.

"The Omamori." Bruce said as he pointed to it. "You said it lost its power when it was broken, can it be restored?"

Himari stayed silent for a while, closing her eyes in contemplation before opening them again.

"It is possible. If taken back to the source where it was imbued, in Noihara."

"Noihara?"

Alfred spoke at this point.

"It's a territory of land owned by the Amakawas."

"Then that's what we'll do." Bruce decided. "I'll arrange a flight to Japan then go to this Noihara place and put things back to the way things were."

Bruce then shot a glare towards Himari.

"As for you: after we're done, I want you to stay out of Gotham and never come back."

This of course made Himari narrow her eyes and blow out an irritated breath.

"I didn't realize that I'd be dealing with such a troublesome idiot." she muttered in Japanese.

"Sir, don't you think you're being a little too-"

Alfred's attempts to reason with him was interrupted by a high pitched alarm sound that seemed to be coming from the cave below. Bruce and Alfred glance at each other briefly with a grave expression before quickly rushing out of the room with Himari trailing after them in confusion.

By the time Alfred was down in cave, Bruce was already in front of the Batcomputer where on screen was displayed a map of Arkham Asylum with smaller windows that displayed footage from the security cameras. From the footage, Alfred could see the carnage that was taking place.

"Massive riot and break out at Arkham. GCPD has already been dispatched but I doubt the security will be able to hold out till then." Bruce relayed.

"Oh dear." Alfred murmured with dread.

Wasting no time, Bruce ran up to a large cylindrical pod where the metal doors slid open to reveal the Bat suit.

"I'm going in. Keep the drone on standby." Bruce said as he began to suit up.

"Of course, Master Wayne. Godspeed."

Now fully geared up, Batman raced towards the Batmobile as the circular platform oriented the vehicle towards the cave exit. He jumped in the driver's seat in a smooth motion but what he didn't expect was someone else jumping into the passenger seat before he could close the canopy.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Batman yelled.

"I'm coming with you." Himari firmly stated. "You'll be much safer with me around."

"I told you, I don't need any protection! Now get out of this car or I'm ejecting you!"

But Himari wasn't the least bit deterred and looked at him with challenge in her eyes.

"Don't you have pressing matters to deal with? The way I see it, you could either waste time trying to get rid of me or save it by letting me assist you. It's your choice..., Master."

Batman glowered at her briefly before facing ahead and starting the engines, allowing the canopy to close and for them to zoom over the internal bridge.

Inside, Batman pulled open the glovebox and retrieved an object which he tossed on Himari's lap.

"Put this on." he said.

Himari held it up and looked at it curiously: it looked like a large black domino mask with white eye lenses.

"I'll only say this only once, Himari: When we get there, you will do exactly as I tell you. To the letter, no exceptions. Are we clear?"

"How do I look, Master?"

Batman was caught off guard by that and turned to her.

"Huh?"

He found that the domino mask actually fitted Himari's face well.

"Does it make me look...cute?" she asked, smiling bashfully.

Batman balked, unable to believe she asking questions like that now of all times.

"I am not answering that!" he stated firmly and fixed his steely eyes in front of him.

"Then I suppose I'll pass the time by poking these buttons." Himari pouted angrily.

__"She wouldn't dare..."__

Sure enough, she extended a finger towards one of the buttons on the dashboard. Her finger slowly approached the dashboard, inch by inch, until finally...

"You look fine." he rasped begrudgingly.

Himari's lips curled into a satisfied smile and with her hand drawn back, leaned back against her seat as a slight blush spread over her cheeks. Batman on the other hand, groaned in exasperation, the girl really was like a cat: curious, stubborn and constantly craved attention.

He still didn't know her part in all this nonsense, Why would an Ayakashi want to serve people who's profession was hunting them? How does she know about his parents? The answers would have to wait, right now he had a job to do.

**TBC**


End file.
